Digital Soldiers
by jedihunter80
Summary: Updated Summary: When a trip to the museum thrusts the entire digidestined team into one of WW 2's deadliest battles, the team must fight for their lives while trying to discover an evil plot underlying everything. THIS STORY ON HIATUS.
1. Prolouge

Jedihunter80: Hello everybody! Welcome to opening day of Jedi's FanFic Theater. I am Jedihunter80, Jedi for short, and I will be your MC.

Doc Bradley: Hi. My name's Jack "Doc" Bradley, one of this story's characters here to introduce today's chapter.

Jedihunter80: But before you do, I have to take care of the disclaimer (audience groans). I do not own any of the following characters. I own the events in Odaiba, but all events on Iwo Jima belong to the men who fought there.

Doc: Today we begin on the crowded deck of an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) that was modified to carry Marine riflemen and their smaller landing craft, amtracs (Amphibious Tractors). The men stand in awe as the United States Navy begins shelling a small island in the distance…

_The curtains open to the scene._

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Doc Bradley stood with his friends Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, Ira Hayes, Mike Strank, and Rene Gagnon on the deck of the crowded LST illuminated by a strange orange glow from distant explosions. They could not sleep due to the constant boom of the battleship's guns firing. There was much anticipation in the air as the thousands of Marines aboard LSTs all throughout the area watched the small piece of land they would soon invade be blasted by tons of explosives. Humor still existed however as they boys whispered things like "There won't be anything left to land on" and "I hope there's still some Japs left for me when I get there" to one another. Some actually did manage to fall asleep. Others gambled the night away. Still others questioned the point of invading a small island not more than eight miles long.

At first light, D-Day began by waking those who had slept so they could do a quick tidy-up before one of the nicer breakfasts they had had since the operation had begun. They then suited up and prepared to board their amtracs, DUKWs (amphibious tractors with wheels instead of treads, much larger than the amtracs and able to carry light artillery pieces and tanks ashore), and LCVPs (smaller than DUKWs, larger than amtracs, used for carrying infantry). The watched one more time as at 0800 hours, the big guns on the battleships and destroyers opened up once again. They watched over the edges of their many assault craft as artillery pounded the beachhead, followed soon after by the roar of engines and more explosions as B-24s and B-29s began dropping bombs as big as 1-ton on the island. Smaller fighters such as Navy Corsairs strafed defensive positions on Mt. Suribachi and fired rockets and small bombs at it. The bombardment lifted at precisely 0857 and the first wave of modified armored amtracs (amphibious tanks that couldn't carry infantry) at 0902, only 2 minutes behind schedule. Right behind them came the first wave of troop-carrying amtracs that deployed their men on the shorelines and then moved back into the sea to make room for more. The men were anxious. They expected the Japanese defenders to begin returning fire at any moment. Nevertheless, they were caught off-guard when suddenly…inexplicably…they didn't.

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"So it's agreed then, we meet at the museum at 8:30," Tai Kamiya, 19 years old, was saying over the phone. "Great. See you there." He turned to his fiancé, Sora. "It's settled. Everyone is meeting at the museum tomorrow."

"It'll be great to see everybody again" said Sora.

"Yeah, it's been a while…" Tai said before fading into memory. "I'd better get going. I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7:00 so we can head downtown."

"See you tomorrow," she gave him a quick kiss before he headed out the door.

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Jedihunter80: Sorry this chapter is so short, I just needed to start gaining readers. All will begin to make sense in chapter 2, which I promise will be uploaded by Monday.

Doc: Until next time, everybody. Drive home safely!

_You are now outside. Scram._


	2. DDay

Jedihunter80: Welcome back to Jedi's FanFic Theater. I hope everybody enjoyed Saturday's presentation of chapter 1. I'll go ahead and get the disclaimer crud done so we can move on: I do not own any of the following characters. I don't own the events of _Flags of our Fathers_. No one owns them. They happened. For reals. End of story. Ok, moving right along, here's one of tonight's characters to introduce our FanFic: Taichi Kamiya!

Tai: Hello USA, China, Japan, England, and all those other countries with Internet! A reminder: do not read this chapter unless you have read chapter 1, or some things will make no sense. Tonight's chapter begins inside a small troop-carrying amtrac speeding towards the Green Beach on Iwo Jima. The only sounds are the explosions of the shells as the battleships devastate the landscape. That and singing from another nearby amtrac. Other than that, nothing. It seems quiet as the bombardment lifts. Too quiet…

_Lights fade, curtain opens and FanFic begins._

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Doc Bradley peered over the edge of the small amtrac he was loaded into. Smoke from the bombs and artillery shrouded the beach, making it impossible to see if anything waited to contest their invasion. The only sign that the island still existed was the giant rock that was Mt. Suribachi poking through the devastation. He looked ahead and saw the first troop-carrying amtracs unload their men. The Marines in the first wave cautiously made their way through the soft black ash, expecting tough resistance. None came. They became encouraged, letting down their guard and advancing faster. More Marines crammed the beach as spots were cleared for landing.

In another landing craft, a young man prepared to exit as it neared the shoreline. He took the safety off his rifle, glanced at his comrades, and as soon as he heard "Clear!" dashed forward. He made it five yards before his life was ended in a flurry of bullets.

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Tai was the first of the group to arrive at the museum around 8:15 along with Sora. Joe, Izzy, Yolie, Mimi, Kari, T.K., Ken, Cody, Matt, and finally Davis followed them, late as usual, right before the building opened.

"So, what should we do first?" asked Tai as they moved inside.

"Mimi and I vote for the hall of life," Sora replied.

"I think Japan's history would be better," said Izzy. Yolie nodded.

Davis was not so pleased. "History? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"If it helps, there's a new exhibit on World War 2 in there."

"So?"

"Guns and violence."

"Awesome! Count me in!"

"I guess I could brush up for the history test Wednesday," said Kari.

"History it is then!" said Tai and they moved off towards a sign marked "The History of the Japanese Empire".

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The Marines that had come off the amtrac stopped mid-stride and stared at the body of their fallen comrade. The string of bullets had come out of nowhere; there was no visible enemy, even though the smoke had lifted. Then the island unleashed its fury. Mt. Suribachi seemed to explode as hundreds of artillery emplacements and machine gun nests hidden in the rock opened fire simultaneously. Dozens of Marines were instantly killed or critically wounded. The bloodbath had begun.

Out at sea, Doc's amtrac had begun circling around until a suitable landing zone could be cleared. He jumped as a tremendous roar burst from the island ahead. He looked up to see Suribachi unloading sheets of iron and steel upon the hundreds of Marines walking down the beach. Then the emplacements on the east side of the mountain opened fire, raining artillery down on the advancing amtracs, DUKWs, and LCVPs. The Navy pilot immediately took evasive action as the shells neared them. The nausea from seasickness suddenly increased itself tenfold as the small craft zigzagged through the fire. Doc and several others had soon leaned over the side to heave.

An explosion that couldn't have been a shell sounded overhead. He looked up to see a Navy Corsair Fighter/Bomber get hit as it returned from strafing the mountain. The pilot could have jumped there and then and lived, but he was trying to control it so it didn't hit any landing craft. He was in the plane when it went into the water. The pilot, Major Ray Dollins, was the 5th Marine's first casualty of the battle.

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When the kids finally got to the history exhibit, Davis immediately headed for the World War 2 section. Everybody else followed just for the heck of it. They were soon standing in front of a sign reading:

**Conquest of Japan: Iwo Jima**

**The Japanese Empire was in undeniable trouble by the start of 1945. With American forces closing in on the home islands, the Emperor ordered Lieutenant General Tadamichi Kuribayashi to attempt and drive the Americans away from the soil that had been untouched by invaders for thousands of years. The General knew the American's next target, Iwo Jima, was part of this soil. If the Americans were going to tread foot on his homeland, then he would make them pay dearly for it. And so the fortification of Iwo Jima began.**

"Man, this Kuribayashi dude sounds harsh," said Davis. "I wonder how the Americans did?"

"Looks like they gave Tadamichi what was coming to him," answered Kari, looking at a display farther down. "Check this out." She was standing in front of a life-sized photo of six men hoisting up a large pole with an American flag atop Mt. Suribachi. "It says here that the United States 28th Marine Regiment had taken this mountain within 3 days of the landing. They raised a small flag at the summit that received cheers and recognition from all below. That flag was taken down and replaced with a larger flag," she gestured towards the photo "that became more famous because of the picture taken here."

"I wonder what it was like to be there," Izzy wondered aloud, staring at a video clip taken of Marines coming off landing craft at the beach. Then time just stopped.

"Hey, guys, why are we the only ones moving?" asked T.K., more than a little nervous. None of them seemed to notice that their digivices were glowing.

"I don't - hey, what the -!" It was the last thing any of them said before disappearing in a flash of light.

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Jedihunter80: Thank you for coming to today's show, we hope you enjoyed it!

Tai: As always, please read and review so we know how to keep you guys happy.

Jedihunter80: 'till next time!

_You are now outside. Go home._


	3. Assignments

Jedihunter80: Welcome once again. I'd like to thank those that reviewed positively and would also like to remind you that any flames will be collected for use at the community BBQ.

Izzy: And I'd like to proudly say that from now on there will be no disclaimers at the start of each chapter! (standing ovation from audience)

Jedihunter80: There is one thing I would like to add however, and that is we have a new character this week that has not been mentioned in the TV show or books. Give a big round of applause for my uncle: Roland Miller, an actual Iwo Jima veteran. I have worked the few scraps of information about him I have into this and the next chapter.

Izzy: One last thing: during the FanFic, words in _italics _will represent thoughts and a dotted line ----- will represent a scene change. Enjoy!

(P.S.: I forgot if I've made this clear or not, but Doc is a medical corpsman, or medic. Just so the next scene makes sense.)

(P.P.S.: Typo in the first chapter: Doc's name is John, not Jack.)

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By the time Doc's amtrac hit the beach, the carnage had spread down the entire length of the landing zone. He found his first casualty waiting at the bottom of the ramp and immediately began working his practiced healing art. _Boy, how'd I get into this mess?_ he thought. Soon he was moving on to the next man.

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A few miles away, Kari Kamiya awoke on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri. A terrible noise drifted through the air as the "Mighty MO's" big guns traded fire with emplacements on Mt. Suribachi. She heard men yelling out orders over the din. Soon the others were waking up as well.

"Where are we?" mumbled T.K. "And why are my ears stuffed with cotton?" He started to remove it when a man dressed in olive green clothes and a camouflage helmet stopped him.

"Don't you dare take that stuff out, Marine!" he yelled. "Not unless you wanna go deaf!" He gestured towards the giant guns, which were hurling shells the size of jeeps about 2 miles inland. The force it took to do that sent literally an ear-splitting shockwave across the area, thus why all the personnel on board had stuffed their ears.

"And who might you be?" Tai said in a threatening tone.

"Roland Miller, U.S. Navy. And don't forget that I outrank you, _Sergeant._" He put emphases on this last word.

"I'm not even in the military; what are you talking about?"

"Not in the military, huh," Roland said sarcastically. "Could have fooled me. Look around you and tell me your not in the military." It was now that the gang began to realize where they were, and what they were wearing. They were on a battleship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 2 miles away from one of the bloodiest invasions of all times. They were clad in olive green jackets, backpacks, pants, and ammo belts along with brown combat boots and Colt .45 caliber pistols on their hips. They also had camouflaged helmets like Roland sported.

"I'm confused…" began Davis, but Roland cut him off.

"Never mind. Just get to the landing boats, it's almost time to deploy." He turned and hurried up a staircase to the fire control center.

"He actually expects me to fight?!" cried Kari, obviously upset. T.K. placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Kari. I'll be right there beside you."

"Me too!" Davis chimed in. Ken looked nervously at his watch.

"We all will be. But we better do what Roland said before he gets really mad." And on that note they headed off to find the landing craft.

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Doc gently lowered another young man onto a stretcher so he could be evacuated safely offshore. That is, if the Japanese gunners didn't get to him first. Had they been in Europe, the Nazis would have at least tried to avoid hitting the evac stations and medics; but out here the Japs took pride in killing all the Americans they could, even those helpless ones that couldn't move. Doc cringed as a shell turned a group of wounded men into fireballs. _Where are they coming from? _Another thing about the island's defenders: they lay totally unseen to the invaders. General Kuribayashi had built a huge underground tunnel network that allowed them to fire their guns, eat, sleep, replace supplies, and treat wounded all without being noticed. And the 1-ton bombs the Americans had been throwing at them for three days couldn't even touch this entire system.

And so it continued for some time: the Japanese shot at the Marines, the wounded got brought back to the beach, and then half got evacuated while half got blown apart. Japanese losses? Just the occasional lone infantryman on watch duty or the firing crews that got incinerated by any lucky flamethrower regiment that got close enough to the tunnel entrances. And Doc Bradley saw it all. He saw the five friends that he had stood with on the LST rush into battle, not knowing where they would end up next if they even survived the day. And then he saw the oddest sight on Iwo: a woman stepping down from a DUKW.

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Sora was the first off the DUKW as it lowered the ramp, but froze when she saw the wounded, dead, and pieces of the dead littering the ground. The others stopped too, including Roland.

"How on earth…" he trailed off, not finishing his sentence, his eyes glued to a mutilated body. Kari was on the verge of collapse, supported only by T.K. Joe rushed towards a wounded boy, took his pulse, and shook his head.

"Too much blood loss," he muttered. Kari gathered some strength and turned to Roland.

"Who did this? Who could be so cruel?" she demanded in between sobs.

"The Japanese Emperor and his goons, that's who." he said with growing anger in his voice.

"The…Japanese…No, it couldn't be," Ken stuttered. Izzy motioned for everyone to gather around.

"These aren't the Japanese we grew up knowing. These are radical warriors devoted to a religion that has since died with its followers."

"And how do we know this?" demanded Yolie.

"Look at your clothes, look at where you're standing! This is World War II we've landed ourselves in!"

"Do you think the trip to museum had something to do with it?" asked Cody.

"It probably does. You see that mountain over there? That's the one Kari was looking at in the picture of the flagrasing. That's Suribachi." He was about to say more when Roland walked towards them accompanied by a medic.

"Listen up! This is one of your platoon mates, Sergeant Kamiya. His name's John Bradley, a medic from the Navy. He'll tell you where to go and get you some spare weapons from the supplies. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to find some targets for the Mighty MO to shoot at." He turned away and ran up the small embankment at the back of the beach. The kids just stood and looked at Doc for a moment before he began to give directions.

"Ok, this is what's going to happen," he turned to Tai. "I believe he said you are sergeant Kamiya, correct?"

"Yes, sir!" he responded in his best military-sounding voice.

"Actually, you're above me, sir. I'm just here to direct you on where to meet up with your platoons." Tai's face reddened, obviously embarrassed. Doc continued. "You are to take your squad down to the southern end of the beach and then head west to join up with the 28th division's E Company, 2nd platoon." He turned to Matt. "Sergeant Ishida, I think he said was your name, you're to do the same except move farther west to join 1st platoon." He looked at Joe. "He didn't say your name, corpsman, but you're to stay with me so we can get some more wounded out of here. Now move out, sirs!" He glanced at Kari, Yolie, Mimi, and Sora as he said this. Turning to the latter he said, "The military must be desperate if they start letting women in." Mimi was offended to say the least.

"Why you little…" Izzy stopped any hostilities.

"Remember," he whispered, "it's 1945, and they don't have any woman infantry soldiers yet."

"Oh," and they just walked away, leaving Doc and Joe standing on the black ash.

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Jedihunter80: Ok, another one done and gone. I promise that characters will start getting more dialogs as they are in smaller groups.

Izzy: We'd also like to note that Jedi's new website is under construction and we'd like to ask anybody with some artistic ability to draw the Digidestined in 1940's Marine gear to be featured on the site.

Jedihunter80: To apply, just open the reviews page and send a response to my message posted on the subject and leave your e-mail. If accepted, you'll be sent some reference pics to work with. Please check your junk/spam boxes for these, as my e-mail seems to disagree with some providers. 'till next time!

_You are now outside. You know what to do by now._


	4. Cut the Head

"Let's move it Marines!" That phrase started a basic suicide charge across the narrow neck of the island just beneath Mt. Suribachi. The 28th regiment, under the command of Colonel Harry "The Horse", was supposed to be a fourth of the way up the mountain by now, but the sudden and steady barrage of Japanese fire had changed any existing plans. They had just now moved off the beach on a 1,000 – yard charge down the narrowest point of the island in an attempt to cut Suribachi off from support. So far, it could hardly be going worse.

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**D-Day, Squad 1's POV**

Tai ducked into an old bomb crater as shells crashed down around him. He and his new "squad" (Kari, TK, Davis, and Sora) had been sticking with another young Marine named Harlon Block as they dashed across the island. Garbled screams rose up from various places as other Marines were felled by shrapnel and bullets. Kari was barley keeping up, her peaceful ways shattered in the carnage. She finally collapsed as the charge came to a halt about halfway across. TK rushed forward to pick her up, only to collide with Davis en route.

"Ow, watch where you're going Davis!"

"Same to you, TJ!"

"It's TK!" By this time, Kari was awake again.

"It's been three years and you two are still fighting? Grow up!" The argument continued between the three of them before a Captain walked by and shouted above the yelling teens.

"Can it you three! Save it for the Japs!" he jerked his thumb towards the mountain as he spoke. He continued to lecture them on teamwork and the Marine Corps values, suddenly stopping as he looked at Kari. "This is against war department rules, you realize. Trying to get into the armed services when you aren't a male is a punishable offense." He ducked as a shell showered them with dirt. "If it weren't for this danged artillery, I'd have you taken to the brig right now; but remember, I know were your squad is." He stood and began to move to another foxhole before turning to Sora. "And that goes for you too!" he called back. They just stared after him as he disappeared into the smoke.

"If one more person has to come off of here as a casualty, I hope it's him." This from Kari, of all people.

"Hey, don't worry; I've got your back. You forget they gave us weapons when we reached HQ," he said with a sneer, holding up his M-1 carbine proudly. Kari shook her head sadly.

"Sorry, but even if he is a total jerk, I'm not shooting anybody, not even them," she said pointing up the mountain.

"You know, none of us has fired a shot since we showed up here," Tai pointed out. Sora looked up.

"I hope we never have to…"

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**D-Day, Squad 2's POV**

Matt's "squad" (Ken, Izzy, Yolei, Mimi, and Cody) had taken a slightly different path than Tai's. They were now lodged a short way up the foot of the mountain with a part of the battalion that had managed to break the defender's first line of defense (thanks to a few flamethrower troopers). Nothing was moving, casualties were building, and talk of a retreat back down the slope was spreading. Matt was on watch duty in the foxhole he and the rest of the squad had made out of a bomb crater, scanning the horizon with his binoculars for any sign of Japanese troops out in the open. There had been none so far.

"I thought I had been cruel as the Digimon Emperor, but this is insane," muttered Ken, gesturing towards a chute formed by the rocks where the Japanese were rolling grenades down into the dug-in Marines. Many hit their targets. "It's complete slaughter, we have no place to really defend ourselves and we can't even see them!" He ducked as a Japanese mortar exploded behind their position.

"Yeah, it's a miracle we haven't been hit yet," said a very dazed Yolei. She was startled as Matt jumped up and grabbed his rifle. He was obviously excited.

"JAP IN THE OPEN!" he screamed, sending soldiers all around them scrambling for their rifles, all wanting a chance to kill a visible enemy. The American line exploded with rifle and machine gun fire, and the lone patrolling soldier was cut down in a brutal assault. Matt sank back down into the hole, not having fired a single shot. "Missed," he muttered.

"How exactly can you be so calm at shooting at our own country men?" breathed Mimi, upset (obviously).

"You heard Izzy. These aren't the same Japanese we grew up with. These people are different. I mean, look around you! Look at what they have done!" Matt retaliated. Izzy kept looking down sadly as he responded.

"That's what I said, yes, and it's true, but I still have a problem with it. I have a problem with killing. It's just not right in my mind. I don't know about you, Matt, but…"

"But nothing," Matt cut him off. "I don't exactly agree with it either, but I'm not just going to sit around and watch as those guys up there keep killing these guys down here"

"I'd have to go with Matt on this one, guys. After I was done being Emperor, I vowed to help stop tyranny and torture. I think those guys are a pretty good example," said Ken solemnly. Cody, who had been silent the entire time, surprised everybody when he spoke up.

"Ken and I don't always agree, but this time I'm with him. I'm willing to teach those guys a lesson they'll never forget!" He also ducked as another shell hit. "If we can get to them, that is."

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**D-Day, Joe's POV**

Joe and Doc were in about the same place they had been when the others left them a few hours ago. They had been working as a team fixing up the wounded and getting them prepared for evacuation. Currently, Joe had his hands full holding pressure on a bleeding artery as Doc tied off the broken limb with a tourniquet.

"Done," Doc announced exhaustedly, scanning the area for any more casualties. "I think that finally does it for this sector. We'd better catch up with the regiment now before they get too far away." With that, the medical duo set off across the smoke-covered landscape of Green Beach towards were Tai's squad was dug-in. They actually met at one point, exchanged a few words, and then went back to work. Joe immediately found their next batch of casualties waiting for them near the regimental Command Post, and they were soon busy again mending a broken bone here, pulling shrapnel out of someone's face there. It was quite obvious they were in for a long afternoon.

The rest of the day passed about the same, the only significant thing that happened was the regiment finally completing the 1,000-yard run across the island by the end of the day. But as the sun set on the bloody sands of Iwo Jima, it was set in everyone's mind that the battle would not be won quickly.

Jedihunter80: Thanks for coming again. I'm sorry I didn't get around to writing in a while, but it's good to be back. We are still looking for that artist to draw some pictures of the digi-gang in WWII attire, so find some talent please! See you in the next chapter!

_The FanFic Theater is now closed for the day. Go away now._


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